What we leave behind
by The Rouge Captain
Summary: A city in celebration, too busy to remember those who died for them. When the mind experiences great pain, it forgets. But how can they? Sorrow becomes their shadow, Memories keep wounds fresh. What happened after the fall of the empire? Oneshot.


**Hiya folks! I know this isn't the update most people expected, but there we go. This is just me venting some feelings at the deaths of those who perished in Akame Ga Kill. I guess its kinda how I thought the remaining members of night raid would react to the wars end. Its based off of the anime, so you know. I watched the anime first, so most of the names I use will be from the anime, not the manga, although I use teigu and not imperial arm. Anyways, I basically felt like writing something sad, so here it is.**

 **By the way, this is about Night Raid, not the Jaegers. However, for each of the Jaegers that have died, I have inputted a little snippet of a reference to them. Or tried, anyway. Probably way to obvious. Other than maybe Stylish. I never liked him. I didn't mention him. Not being a homophobe or anything. Ahem, anyways... Let me know if you spot the Jaeger references!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Akame Ga kill, its characters or any of its respective content.**

* * *

The capital city was in celebration. The body of the minister was forgotten and left to rot in some dark hole, while Emperor Makato was... well, headless. For the general populous, there was laughter, celebration. Fireworks. Drinking. They were glad it was over. But what of those who gave everything, so the people could have something?

Akame was glad the city was so noisy. It meant that nobody could hear here, and nobody was looking for her. If they were, they wouldn't find her. Who would suspect a dark alleyway, just away from the main city? It wasn't ideal. In fact, it almost surprised her that Leone would pick such a place. But then, staring at the bloodied body of her dear friend, she knew that this was where Leone really wanted to be. In the slums, amidst the noise and grime she gave her life to protect. Leaving the world where she started in it. "I should have known, you idiot. Why did I ever leave you alone?" Akame slumped to the floor, her upset taking control of her limbs. Gently, shakily, she pulled Leone into her arms. No comfort could be found from nuzzling the woman's soft blonde hair. The cold, limp body offered no warmth. "Why... Why did you leave me?" Her voice cracked. "We were all that was left. Did you go to see everyone else?" A droplet ran down Leones face, then another. Tears of bitterness falling from Akame's eyes.

"You were so strong. You took everything in your stride. Something like this shouldn't have killed you! Its not fair!" The raven haired girls tears fell thick and fast, as she clutched Leone to her. "How could you? I want to see everyone too! You said see you soon! You cant see me at all!" Akame knew she was being cruel, blaming Leone for her unhappiness. But she envied the woman. Always so relaxed, even knowing her death was at hand. She thought back. Had Leone even intended to try and survive? Or did she just want to rest in peace, back in the place she loved? The assassin loosened her grip, and let the cold body slide from her grip.

Alone. In the dark. Beginning to sob. Sobs turned to wails that scorched the air with misery and grief. But there was nobody, no shoulder to cry on. Just the cold and the damp. Akame was glad it was noisy.

* * *

Grey hair, a black cloak. A head bowed from the weight of sorrow. Najenda sat in a dark room, with a candle and a bottle of rum as company.

"Its all over now, so Its okay to cry... right?" Her voice was weak, barely shattering the silence.

Despite her best intention, her cheeks were wet with silent heartache. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a handkerchief. As she pulled it out, however, something else fell to the floor. Her hand immediately shot back into her pocket. Eyes widened. Najenda kicked the chair aside, leaping up. She knocked the table and fell to her knees. Desperately searching for the missing object.

Her hand touched upon the slightly warm metal and leather. A sigh of relief escaped through her lips, turned down from dismay. Picking up the red goggles, she held them close to her chest, eyes closing for a second. She was glad she hadn't seen him as he died. This way she could pretend. Pretend that he was just on a mission. Yes, that's right. Her green haired pervert was just running recon. So was Susanoo. And Mine. And Chelsea, Bulat and Scheele. She was allowed to imagine it right? Their deaths weren't her fault. They weren't even dead! "Dammit!" Her eyes flew open as she began to cry again. With nothing in her hands but the precious goggles, she had nothing to vent her demons on.

Her metal fist flew out as she sobbed. It went straight through the wall, and then on its way back it grabbed the rum bottle. With a sniffle, she downed what was left. But these sorrows were too big to drown. They floated. Her mind flashed back to a memory of Lubbock, floating in the water of a lake. He was sporting his usual perverted grin as he spied on Mine, Scheele and Leone in bathing suits. "Fuck it!"

Her hand went through the table, going into a alcohol fuled rage. It was her fault! Her fault that they were all gone! The only people in her life, died because she asked them to! Asking them to risk their lives was burden enough, what about this? She clutched the goggles, desperately trying to find some shallow comfort in them. Nothing. Just waves of guilt. Her head shot up. The other bases! Surely they left something there?! Right? Which ones were there? The two mountain bases, the cabin and... the bookshop! The woman shot up, kicking the broken table into the wall. It cracked under the force, and Najenda proceeded to smash down the wall she had broken earlier. The bookshop wasn't far from here. Five minutes away...

* * *

Akame rose up, her tear ducts long since dried up, her throat burning. She had screamed herself hoarse, then when she couldn't scream verbally she continued silently. She couldn't sit there a moment longer. She had to get up. Get away, go for a walk. Maybe find the boss. Yeah, she was still okay. Probably working with some of the rebels to figure out a new plan for the capital.

She turned and left the alley, but not before putting her treasured friend in a more comfortable position. Emerging onto the busy main street, she blinks at the lights. So crowded and noisy... A good place to lose oneself. She observed the wide range of items with interest, for it was perhaps the first time in year where she could freely walk through the city and not have someone try to arrest her. A small, sad smile reached her face, as she picked up a familiar looking book. The title read '1000 ways to cure airheadedness' She nudged the man who was blocking her path to the seller, trying to barter for a small white and black plush toy. It looked like a dog. After paying for the book, she got an idea. Quickly she found a liquor store, and the owner was more than willing to give her a bottle of sake for free. Apparently he knew her, which only surprised her for a second.

Then she went and purchased the brightest pink coat she could find, covered in strange patterns. Next was a rather dirty book, in pristine condition. Not dirty or torn at all. The fanciest looking hair comb she could find was next, followed by an expensive looking set of earphones. Only one thing left.

Half an hour later, she found what she was looking for. A high collared white trench coat. After buying it, she slipped it on and put the other items into the pockets. To her surprise, she found a set of wanted posters still up. It seemed that they had finally gotten images or glances at all of Night Raid, because there was a picture of all of them, including Tatsumi. She took them all, even her own. It only seemed fitting. Without meaning to, she began to wonder. She went past the last stand, a cookie store, and down into the housing area. Her head turned as she passed the cemetery, observing a mother and her child, both blonde, sitting in front of a grave quietly, both dressed head to toe in black. She wondered if all of her friends would get grave stones.

* * *

Najenda, with shaky hands, reached out to pull on the book that revealed the secret room. She had made it to the bookstore in good time, but found herself unable to enter. After half an hour of just standing there she finally opened the door. At once she felt tears building up as she noticed, with a pang, how dusty it was. After all, nobody had used it after Lubbock... She had made it her business to read the titles of all of the books, almost as if she were browsing.

Finally, after several hours of avoiding it, Najenda placed her finger on _that_ book, and pulled it. With a small rumbling sound, the bookcase slid to one side, and revealed a dark set of stairs. No light had touched it in weeks. Light spilled into the stairwell, and Najenda shakily took a step down it. With a deep breath and her hand tightly clutching onto the goggles, she raced the rest of the way down and burst into the room. It was pitch black, and the woman hastily lit a lantern, only to wish she hadn't.

Nothing was wrong. In fact, it was almost too good. Small and cosy, the flickering light of the lantern reminding her of the day they had gone to rescue Tatsumi. Leone's empty bottle of sake lying on the table, near a small puddle of candle wax. A few bits and pieces left lying around by mine, and some dirty rags that she had used to strip clean Pumpkin. The day before she died. A small noise escaped Najenda's mouth, something between a chuckle and a sob. She had scolded Mine for not clearing those up that night.

The grey haired woman wished that she hadn't. That was practically her last memory of the pinkette. Her single eye scanned the room, searching for any remnants of her green haired fool. Nothing on the sofa, the table, the chair... _There._ Tucked behind the sofa, a green piece of material, looking like it had been stuffed down there. Probably Akame, trying to save everyone from the pain of their memories. She practically dived on it.

Yanking the material free, she began to tremble. A coat. A green furred coat. Gently she nuzzled it. It smelled of him. Tears welled up in her eyes. She reached into the pocket, she pulled free a photo.

With a gasp, another memory flashed through her head.

 _Lubbock grinned. "I'll keep a second copy in my spare coat! That way I'll never be without you!"_

It was a photo of him and her. Being the goofy idiot that he was, Lubbock was pulling the cheesiest grin he could muster and had his thumb up, while using his other hand to take the photo. Najenda was scowling in it, about to yell at him. She felt weak in the knees. Always so harsh, never giving him anything in return for his devotion. There were so many beautiful women in night raid, but he had stayed loyal to her, the cripple.

What did she repay him with? His death. Although Tatsumi had promised it was quick and painless, he was a terrible liar. Not to mention she saw... No. Thinking of that was going to make her sick. She focused on the photo. Looking into it more. Although his smile was a stupid one, his eyes shone with humour and happiness. She stared harder, and finally found what she was looking for. A small twinkle in her eye. As if she didn't mind. With a sigh of relief, she slumped onto the couch.

At least he had known. The photo was crumpled and battered, obviously often looked at. Lubbock was no fool, he had seen it.

She stared a little more, before carefully tearing it. Tearing herself out of the photo. She reached for the lantern, and with a quick, decisive movement, stuck her half of the photo right into the little flame. It spat and tore at the paper-like material, slowly furling it up until it was little more than ashes. Silently she moved the lantern back into the centre of the table.

Slipping off her coat, she replaced it with the green one, and slipped the photo and the goggles into her pockets. Then she snuggled down into the coat and the sofa, and closed her eyes.

* * *

Akame was surprised to see the entrance to the secret room open. Drawing Murasame, she silently crept down the stairs to see who was there. To her immense surprise, it was the boss, snuggled into what looked like Lubbock's coat. She smiled and sheathed her katana silently. Najenda's eyelids flickered, and she yawned. Catching sight of Akame, she bolted up, alert, trying to look as cool and professional as she could. She went to light a cigar and realised they were in her other coat. Other coat... She was still wearing lubbock's. Akame appeared to be wearing something similar to Tatsumi's coat too.

After a moment, the two locked eyes. Akame began to blink away tears.

Not a moment later she threw herself at Najenda, and let her pain spill out through her eyes. No words were spoken, as both of them cried. Najenda silently, mournfully, Akame loudly, painfully. Nothing else moved. Finally the tears ran out and Akame sat up, sniffling. She opened her mouth, then closed it, before finally speaking. Her voice ragged and hoarse.

"Leone is... Gone. Gone to see the others." Najenda nodded, managing to regain some scrap of control over her features, and tried her best to make a business face.

"I know. It wasn't hard to figure out. Why else would she cover her torso up if not mortally wounded and trying to save you some pain? That, and she told me she was dying." Akame looked shocked. Najenda gulped. It was time she confessed to her own problems. "Akame... Look at me." She grabbed the vunerable looking girls face and turned it to her.

"You will be the only survivor from Night Raid." Her fingers were slapped away. Akame stood, angry.

"Don't you dare say that-" Najenda rose to meet her, pushing on before she lost the courage.

"Its true. Susanoo's third Magmata manifestation should have downright killed me. He didn't tell any of you, but... I'm only here because of my will to live. According to him I desired this new world so much that I'm forcing my body to stay alive. I don't know the details, but you needed to know. I'm here to stay until we have a new empire. Then..."

Akame's voice was hollow. "Don't you dare say it. I wont believe you."

Najenda smiled at the raven haired assassins usual stubbornness. "I will die, Akame. And then..." She pulled out the photo slowly. "I'll see him." her voice was barely even a whisper.

"I... I understand. I guess that I have no choice. Say hello to everyone for me." Akame was unusually calm. Najenda looked at her uneasily.

"Akame-" The girl moved like lightning. Extinguishing the lantern she plunged the room into darkness and vanished. A small moan of grief was the only thing she left behind. By the time Najenda was out of the bookstore, the girl had vanished. Najenda put her head between her hands as the weight of the world seemingly pressed onto her back.

* * *

 _Akame POV_

 _Months later._

The wind blown sand swept through my cloak and seemed to creep its way to my bare skin. I could barely see anything. But I kept walking. I had a job to do.

I survived. I had to keep the hopes and dreams of those who fell by my side alive. I refused to go down until I felt their ambitions were complete. For the sake of my memories and my heart. To keep the legends of the heroes I had the honour to call my friends living, to continue to tell those who would listen about the martyrs who disguised themselves as assassins.

Two men appeared through the sand, mercenaries. They looked like teigu users.

To protect the innocent, and judge the evils that hell itself cannot. That is my mission.

Murasame let out a small hiss as I drew it from its sheath.

And when its done, I will see you again.

All of you.

* * *

 **Done. I don't even know how many people made it this far through xD im so sorry that this wasn't up to my usual standard but I had to get this out of the way before I could update my main story. As such, it has no plot and no meaning. Yes the characters are OOC. Especially Najenda. But I really wanted to write something sad, so here it is, y'know? Anyway, this is just a oneshot, nothing else to it.**

 **Unless I want to update and tell everyone that I re-wrote it, which will probably happen at some stage.**

 **Anyhow, if you want to see something similar for the Jaegers (I will even push myself to include something nice about Stylish if its what people really want) just drop a review telling me. Pleaasseee don't hate me for this one. I will get to updating my main story soon, okay? I have a lot to do right now.**

 **As always, feel free to drop me any constructive criticism, and I'm still open for place ideas on my main story! Just come up with a scene, a monster you want Tatsumi and Esdeath to fight, anything like that! If you want to see an idea of yours come to fruition, let me know!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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